Albert Pujols hasn't been able to carry the Cardinals on his back, hitting only .261 with six home runs. Charles LeClaire/WireImage.com

Jocketty did try to sign Randy Wolf and Jason Schmidt. But Wolf only wanted to pitch in Los Angeles and Schmidt wanted to stay somewhere on the West Coast. I asked Jocketty this spring about the fact they didn't get to spend much in the wake of the World Series championship, but he never complained. He said he made competitive bids for Wolf and Schmidt, but no matter what the budget, he doesn't believe in overpaying, anyway.

The Cardinals wound up losing three starting pitchers and bringing in one new one. That's not good math. And that's why this spring Duncan was busy trying to turn relievers into starters (i.e. Braden Looper), trying to make magic. Yet there's only so much magic that can be made.

Jocketty never would blame DeWitt, who was rewarded for his cheapness last year, when his big purchase was Juan Encarnacion, who did nothing. The team won anyway. So it really should have come as no surprise that DeWitt did the same this year, he kept the budget tight.

If the Cardinals can somehow can get back to the playoffs, La Russa and Co. will deserve credit. But if things continue as they are, blame the Bill-ionaire.

Hancock's legacy

Several teams have banned alcohol in the clubhouse in the wake of Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock's tragic death, and about a third of teams now have clubhouse bans. Those teams are the smart ones. The Cubs had a pretty good idea, too, banning alcohol at home, where players generally drive, but not on the road, where they take the team bus or a cab.

Mussina: good pitcher, bad scout

Nobody is capable of spoiling fun like Mike Mussina. In the wake of the Clemens signing, Mussina told the New York Times, "Roger is very good, but somewhere between a No. 2 and No. 3 starter is more likely what he's capable of being. Everyone has to remember he's 44 going on 45. He's not what he was the last time he was here.''

Now, I enjoyed it when Mussina was ripping Carl Pavano. But this was a little uncalled for. If they're paying Clemens $28 million prorated, they obviously don't think he's a No. 2 starter, much less a No. 3 starter. And if anyone has shown signs of slowing down, it's not Clemens. Of the two, if either's now a No. 2 or 3, it's Mussina.

Blogger shills for himself

Curt Schilling apologized on his blog to Barry Bonds for falsely saying Bonds admitted to cheating his wife, the U.S. government and the game of baseball, and I'm starting to think Schilling might have said what he said to draw more attention to his blog of spews and rants. Nobody's better at drawing attention to himself than Schilling. And at this point, I think he may be a better-read blogger than Matt Drudge.

Schilling's latest "piece'' included this tidbit, "I started this blog to give people a look into the life we live on and off the field, not to get into back and forths with people I don't like or have issues with. Doing that will only make this a rant filled [sic] no content bunch of words.''

He may need an editor, but his blog is all about venomous rants from what I can tell. Without them, I think he'd have empty cyberspace. I also wouldn't have friends updating me on his different rips of me. And by the way Schill, thanks for the extra pub, buddy.

Big Papi shakes it up

David Ortiz's defense of Bonds was OK. It's understandable why a few of Bonds' peers would admire him. No matter how much flaxseed oil he took, what he's doing is pretty darned impressive.

"There are supposed to be guys using steroids in the game, and there's nobody close to Barry Bonds. What's that mean? He was using the best [stuff]? Know what I'm saying?" Ortiz told the Boston Herald.

But then Ortiz said something fairly disquieting. He said he couldn't be sure he himself hadn't taken steroids. As a young player, he said, he took protein shakes in the Dominican Republic, and he can't be sure they didn't contained a banned substance. If they did, they obviously weren't the good kind. Ortiz only became a star in recent years.